After competing her senior season in track for Mount Gilead, Baylee Hack will move on to the University of Findlay to attempt to duplicate her high school success.
“I really liked the campus and coach and the people on the team,” she said. “I went on an offseason visit and really liked the girls.”
She added that Findlay also has a good doctorate program for her major, physical therapy. Hack, who will compete in cross country, as well as both indoor and outdoor track, said that she spent a long time deciding on her future plans.
“A good year and a half or so,” she said. “I started visiting my junior year and visited four times before I decided to commit.”
She also looked seriously at Ohio State and Akron before choosing Findlay.
Originally, Hack preferred basketball to track or cross country, but time and success with those sports changed her opinion.
“My first year, I didn’t really take it seriously because I was more of a basketball player, but when I got to high school, I took it more seriously,” she said. “I think my freshman year when I broke the school record, I though I could be good at it if I put more time into it.”
That work led to a lot of success in both cross country and track during her career, with a particularly great moment coming during her sophomore year of cross country.
“I’ve had so many high points,” she said. “Definitely sophomore year at the state meet in cross country was one of my best days ever. The team finished second and I finished third.”
Hack ran in the state cross country meet all four years, claiming three podium finishes in the process. She also has competing in the state track meet, reaching the podium both in a relay and as an individual.
To maintain her high school level of success, Hack knows she’ll have to continue to improve.
“My big goal is to get faster,” she said. “My biggest goal is to get All-American and help the coach develop a better program.”
Hack also will try to build more endurance as, in track, she’ll be taking part in longer events than in high school, where the longest is 3200 meters.
“I’ll move up in distance and be a 5K or 10K person because I’m better the longer I go,” she said. “It’ll definitely take more mileage and strength, but I know my coaches will get me ready for it.”
